Review – G.I. Joe Snow Serpent

“Snow Serpents are the Arctic Specialist branch of the Cobra Eel unit (Cobra frogmen). They must undergo the same rigorous training program as Cobra Eel troops with the addition of a six-month cold weather course somewhere above the Arctic Circle.”
— from the back of the card

So if you take two of my favorite things — evil soldiers and the arctic — and smash them together then you find yourself staring directly at this action figure, one of the best of the modern G.I Joe series of toys. The Snow Serpent, one of my favorite G.I. Joe action figures during the eighties, was obviously a favorite of some designers at Hasbro because this newer edition of the toy is a stunning addition that’s loaded with fantastic accessories.

You know, I could end my review right there and be happy. But let’s spend a little more time with this chunk of beautiful plastic.

Articulated Awesome

It’s hard to top the articulation of the modern G.I. Joe action figures and the Snow Serpent doesn’t change anything in that department. If you’re unfamiliar with these toys then you may want to check out some of my earlier reviews — Cobra Para-Viper, “Resolute” Cobra Trooper, and Cobra Anti-Armor Trooper — for an idea of what to expect. Basically, take the Marvel Universe figures and improve the articulation to get an idea of where this line stands. Good stuff, folks.

Superior Sculpting

As with any heavily-accessorized action figure in this series — which is many of them — the Snow Serpent looks pretty naked when you strip him of all of his accessories. This page at yojoe.com shows the Snow Serpent with most of his accessories removed (the blue harness is still in place) and you can clearly see how by removing just the shoulder pads drastically changes the figure’s appearance; but that doesn’t harm the figure at all since the sculpted details are excellent. From pouches on the arms and legs to the folds of the pants to the detailed helmet and goggles, the Snow Serpent really looks like a design that was a labor of love more than a commercial product. I especially love the fur on the gloves/forearms.

This review at joebattlelines.com has some close shots of the toy which show off the sculpting.

Amazing Accessories

Do you remember how excited I was about the accessories that were included with the “Resolute” Cobra Trooper? (Review here.) Well, the Snow Serpent’s also fully loaded, with:

• Backpack – Sculpted with pouches, a tent (or maybe a sleeping bag), straps, and even a tab to hold the missile launcher, the only thing that would have made this better would have been if it had been painted. You know, that would be a nice upgrade for future releases at this scale: imagine how awesome these would look if every accessory was painted.

• Missile Launcher – Complete with a stand, as I mentioned this can be carried on the backpack. It’s very similar to the 1985 Snow Serpent’s missile launcher (yojoe.com has the dude) and helps make this guy feel a lot like the original.

• Rifle – An AK-47 (again, just like the old figure carried), this is your basic villainous assault rifle.

• Snow Shoes – These have pegs to slot into the figure’s feet and holes that allow you to stand the Snow Serpent on the included stand when he’s wearing the shoes.

• Fur Collar/Shoulder Pads – While the original figure had this sculpted on, this new design included this as a removable accessory (just pop off the figure’s head). The thickness of the piece, and the way it wraps around the figure’s body, adds real depth to the accessory and is a huge improvement over the way the costume detail was originally presented.

Closing Thoughts

This figure makes me sad . . . but only because it’s so awesome and I expect the movie to be so terrible. The Snow Serpent is one of those rare toys that leads me to troop build — I have a few of these because I grabbed the Cobra Arctic Assault Squad and even a few loose ones off of eBay — and I can’t wait to get my hands on the Arctic Hiss (reviewed at kastorskorner.com) to give these guys some firepower.

If you’re a G.I. Joe fan then grab one of these now before they complete vanish from store shelves.

Philip Reed likes add-on accessories for G.I. Joe figures so much that he placed an order at www.marauderinc.com, a site dedicated to customized accessories for 3.75-inch action figures. Yay, more belts and gear!